Thankful Thursday- February 23, 2017

• Early (heck, more like late) Spring temps.  I know it's seems like I'm thankful for the weather week after week, but I truly am. Today's expected high is 74 degrees!!! I didn't even wear a jacket out of the house this morning, just a blouse and a cardigan. I even saw kids at the bus stop in shorts. It's February, people! Amazing! I will definitely be walking to pick No. 2 and No. 3 up from school today, leash in hand. I can't wait!
• Chewy.com. I'd heard good things about them, but never placed an order until Tuesday. And guess what? My ordered arrived Wednesday (the very next day!) at 10:17am! That was WITH their standard shipping. I ordered the Furminator and a bone and was pleased with both. Ginger has been shedding like crazy lately. I'd been given nothing but positive feedback regarding the Furminator and it didn't disappoint. I can't even begin to tell you how much fur I removed with it. And the bone, well let's just say that she literally sat in the same place for an hour and a half going to town on it. I will definitely be ordering from them again!
• Unexpected mommy visits. My mama came up this past weekend! I had no clue she was coming. She loves surprising us. We took advantage of the time with an impromptu barbeque. We had burgers, sausages, hot dogs, filet mignon, corn on the cob, rice, and beans. And chocolate chip cookies. Can't forget the cookies! Hubby also lit the fire pit which we sat around for hours, laughing and making memories.
• 32 year old me. There's a new found confidence you find in your thirties. A confidence that shines bright without even having to try very hard. You learn that you don't need that full face of makeup. A bit of concealer and mascara will do just fine, you're already beautiful. You learn that just because models and celebrities are wearing it, doesn't mean you have to. You are your own fashionista. And if you choose to strut around town with your hair in a bun and in your favorite yoga pants, then by all means, do it girl. You learn that you can feel just as sexy in a nice pair of sneakers as you can in heels. And most importantly, you learn that YOU are the only one responsible for YOUR happiness in life. If I've learned all this at 32, I can't wait to see what 33 has to offer!
• PLAYOFFS!!! Both No. 1 and No. 2's basketball teams are in the playoffs. Woot woot! Both games will be played on Saturday, and it just so happens that I'll get to see them both. I love it when our schedules work out that way! They're both win or go home situations, so I'd appreciate if you could send some good vibes our way. Go Spiders! Go Warriors!

What are you thankful for today?

They Said What?? - Valentine's Day 2017

• No. 1: "Mom, I need to take candy to art class tomorrow." As we're on our way out the door...to basketball practice...at 5:40pm yesterday evening. Valentine's Day is on the same day of the year, every single year. Really, teacher? Surely you knew it was coming.

• No. 2: "I want to hand something out to my classmates as well". Nonchalantly after he hears No. 1 asking for candy and after at least a week of me asking him, over and over, if he wanted to hand out cards this year.

• No. 3: "If I have any extras, I'm going to bring them to you mom". How sweet is my boy? (Even if they don't make it home. And I'm pretty sure they won't. It's the thought that counts, right?) Click HERE to see the Valentine's cards he's handing out to his classmates. They're super cute!

May your day be filled with lots of love and even more chocolate! Or is it the other way around? Nah, I'm going with my belly, I mean gut.


Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

Sports Mama Tip: Trophy and Medal Display Ideas

My boys have earned quite a few trophies, medals, and ribbons over the course of their short "careers". I didn't want them to just sit around and collect dust nor did I want to spend a fortune to display them.


Here's what I came up with:

For No. 3 who has the smallest of the collections, we purchased this floating white shelf from Home Depot for about $20. It was easy to hang and all mounting hardware was included.

To hang his medals, I used white 1 inch Command Hooks. I wasn't too fond of the idea of drilling a bunch of holes into the shelf. The hooks are inexpensive and damage free. And of course, more can be added as needed.

I love how it all came together. And so did No. 3!


No. 1 and No. 2 have the larger collections and each have a glass display case from Ikea in their bedrooms. They have had them for years now. I like the fact that the shelves are removable. We had to remove one of No. 1's to allow for some of his larger trophies to fit.

I organized each shelf by sport.

As you can see, they hold A LOT.

My goal was not only that they look nice, but more importantly that they serve as constant reminders to my boys that (their) hard work really does pay off!


What do you use to display your athlete's awards? Let me know in the comment section down below!








*** Here is another fun idea from Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook group  member Jody D.

Click HERE to purchase one yourself! Be sure to join our group for more Sports Mama ideas!

Basketball Emoji Valentine's Day Cards

Valentine's Day is less than a week away! I swear Christmas was just yesterday. (Side note: today's expected high is 65 degrees...in FEBRUARY! What the what? I'm not complaining though!).


Leaving things for the last minute stresses me out, so I thought we'd get a jump start on our Valentine's Day cards. No. 3 is the only one handing them out this year. Sigh. Why can't they stay little forever? I asked a friend of mine to design basketball themed ones for me as choices in the stores are pretty limited, especially for boys.


Here's what he came up with:

How awesome are they (and is he!)? Totally perfect for my boy. Basketball AND emojis...winning! He hit the nail on the head with these.


We printed the cards on cardstock and taped a heart shaped lollipop to each one. The lollipops say "Yes", "Be Mine", "Hug Me", "I'm Yours", "Love Ya" and "Kiss Me". However, No. 3 made sure to not include ANY of the kiss me ones because "that's just weird". Ha!


He can't wait to hand them out to his class!

Or to taste the lollipops either, apparently...


If your all-star would like to hand them out as well, click HERE for the free, printable template.

Happy Early Valentine's Day, mamas!




*** Need some inspiration for a sports themed Valentine's box? Click HERE to see the Washington Redskins box No. 2 made a couple of years ago!